Edge Of Madness
by KeeganFictionInc
Summary: Within the asylum Azula has to deal with slowly losing her mind, as her friends and family fight to keep her from giving up on herself. Is it enough to stop her flame from going out, or will it take more than friendship to save her from herself. Set after the show.
1. Chapter 1

Due to writer's block on my other fic and the deadline approaching I decided that forcing myself would create poorer quality. So instead I began writing a much more personal Azula'centric story. This will focus on her time in the asylum, either ignoring the comics or working towards an AU version of The Search.

* * *

 **Hidden Fears**

* * *

 _"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."_

* * *

Zuko watches his sister, as they both sit in silence, him quietly appraising her, and her silently protesting his existence. He tried talking to her, having spent the morning going on about his recent travels to the Earth Kingdom and his relationship with Mai, but it seemed silence was the only form of defiance she had left and now he was out of things to say.

Azula's golden eyes remain fixed on the ground, refusing to meet her brother's eyes. She tried to meet them the first time he visited, tried to look into his eyes chin up to prove she did not let this place defeat her. But they held to much... What was it, She didn't know but whatever it is he held in his eyes she could not stand and so now she refused to look at him. One show of defiance was as good as another.

"Your hair." He says reaching out to touch it but she pulls away. It had happened during her last fit, she broke out of her binds and ripped patches out from her head, according to the nurses it had taken half a dozen nurses to restrain her. That was why he began visiting her again regularly, the healers told him the fits were coming more frequently and the worst of them caused more damage than to just her appearance. She is surprised he took so long to notice, something else must be on his mind, the thoughts of curiosity come unbidden to her mind. Forcing her to keep telling herself over and over not to care, not for a traitor.

Zuko looks around the room, for the first time with focus. He stands and moves to the solitary window and only source of natural light and draws the curtains wider, he doesn't like how dark the room is. He will have to talk to someone about that. Realising there is nothing more he can do with her today he goes to the door, and reaches to open it, but feels he needs to say goodbye. How do you say goodbye to someone who doesn't want you there in the first place, he wonders.

"I think Ty Lee was planning on visiting you soon. I'll," He pauses for a second to look at her one more time, "see you again next week." And with that he awkwardly leaves. He will keep coming back though, giving up on someone is easy, so many people had given up on him long ago. But it had taken one to keep him from giving up on himself and he will not let Azula become like he had.

Azula raises her head to assure her mind she is alone again. She discovered soon after arriving that nowhere felt as alone as within this prison, the nurses and healers keep themselves detached from the patients, and of the few glances she had gotten of the other inmates, they were just dead walking. And she will more than likely join them soon, she considers the prospect. It is a strange feeling to lose yourself, not as unpleasant as it might seem, it doesn't cause pain, rather it feels like water running over her and washing away what remains until she will be nothing more than sand on a riverbank. Painful no, terrifying yes. At least it's quiet she likes the quiet, a small comfort that often leads to unpleasant thoughts on why she never heard the screams of the other patients.

Her head tilts upwards in a slow motion, it is a small habit she picked up with little more to do except stare at her reflection and think. The nurses had found a place to put the mirror where she wouldn't be able to break it, on the roof just out of reach. The princess could not remember breaking the mirror the last time but the scars were there and the nurses whispered about it when they thought she was to far gone to hear. They ignored her protests when she told them to take it away, something about facing your fears. But how do you face your own reflection or the reflection of someone who abandoned you without a goodbye.

"Hello Azula." As if on cue her mother is standing there in the reflection, behind her own. At least she looks as miserable as her daughter Azula thought, smiling in the way a person in pain smiles at another.

"Go away mother. I think I've seen enough of family today." Azula replies never losing the authority in her voice. Years of practice.

"You couldn't look at him again. He tries so hard for you my little dragon." The reflection of Ursa answers her daughter, her voice filled with concern. Her hand reaching out as if trying to comfort her, but it wasn't real, that hand can never touch her or comfort her.

"I would not stand to see the pity in his eyes." Azula lies, lying is easy. It was something that came to her with the same ease as walking.

"How long can you lie to yourself my child. It wasn't pity Azula. It was the one thing left that you cannot stand." The reflection looks at Azula with her soft eyes hoping they can pierce the walls she has for so long built. The young princess's eyes fill with tears, she struggles against the binds wishing she could cover her ears, but she knows the answer before she hears it. "His eyes have hope."

* * *

The chapters here will be much shorter and therefore more likely to be updated though I won't set specific deadlines. Please read, review and flame me for using this to try and talk my way out of missing the deadline on The Burning Earth.


	2. Chapter 2

The second chapter early. Have I earned forgiveness?

* * *

 **Words Unspoken**

* * *

"It hurts to breathe. It hurts to live. I hate her, yet I do not think I can exist without her."

* * *

"She is not well, you should not stay long." The healer speaks down to the already distracted young Kyoshi warrior, her tone a good reflection of the monotone hospital. While she speaks she never looks up from her notepad. "Try not to upset her, the fits have been particularly bad of late."

Ty Lee nods her head the air of the place making her feel much more serious than she is comfortable with. The aura feels wrong to her, a place to heal should not be so dark and the people inside so grey. She is so distracted by her thoughts she squeals as the heavy iron bolt is removed from the door to Azula's... Room? They call it a room, but it is a cell and not the nicest cell either. Inside Azula seems focused on the ceiling her face holding a distant expression oblivious to Ty Lee and the orderly beside her.

"Could I speak to her alone?" Ty Lee asks, the staff had been afraid that Azula would try to escape and so no one but Zuko was allowed to see her alone. But the Azula who Ty Lee saw now was not the Azula she had once believed could conquer the Earth Kingdom single handedly. Just considering that felt wrong in her mind, Azula can not be weak she was always strong.

"I do not believe that would be wise." The old orderly tries to warn, but Ty Lee's stance is resolute and the nurse if forced to give in, she does not like dealing with so many children in her hospital. "As long as I am not responsible for what happens you can do whatever it is you want child."

The sound of the shutting door forces Azula out of her trance, and she notices Ty Lee's presence for the first time causing a small smile to form. And then her face hardens as the memories of betrayal force their way back inside. But Ty Lee notices the smile and as small as it is she focuses on that side instead. Once she would have relied on Azula's strength to bolster her own. Now she has to be strong for Azula, and that half smile is enough to remind her why.

"Well Zuko figured this place needed some lightening up, so I brought you these." Ty Lee pulls out a small bundle of white flowers ornately arranged in a pink vase. Of course she would bring something pink, Azula rolls her eyes but does not speak. Since her brother's visit the only time she made a sound was during a fit and those were little more than incoherent screams. She is proud she has made it four days now without even breaking her self-imposed silence to throw insults at the attendants.

Ty Lee places them beside the window, outside of the direct light. "They're called Moon Flowers, they only blossom in partial light and I thought it kind of reminded me of you." The window is small and can barely illuminate the entire room. Zuko was right Ty Lee thinks to herself, she needs more light here.

Moving from the window Ty Lee pulls the chair opposite Azula to beside her friend. Sitting down she grabs the fiery princess's silky hair and begins brushing it, it's difficult to work with due to the damage that had been done to it since Azula had been brought here but the acrobat is stubborn, more stubborn than the hair, and soon begins to work out the knots with a soft touch gained from a familiar knowledge with her friend's hair.

"Remember when we were little, and you used to believe that your servants were trying to make you look ugly because they were jealous." Ty Lee talks as she runs the brush down her friends long unkempt hair, the hair is dirtier than Azula would ever allow if she had a choice. Ty Lee made a mental note to wash her hair on her next visit. "So you wouldn't let anyone touch your hair but you, but you never did get the bun just right. So eventually you let me do it, of course you always triple checked to make sure I did it right. But you trusted me, in your own way."

Azula keeps quiet, but she doesn't fight the young acrobat and instead allows her to move her head to make the task easier. She tries to reason that it was because her hair is a mess and it doesn't matter who did it. But it is enough for Ty Lee, to be able to talk to her friend and touch her soft flowing hair again. Everything after will come in time.

* * *

The **M** **oon Flower** (Chinese: 月花) is a plant indigenous to the Earth Kingdom that produces a cream-white flower. It is kept decoratively for its pleasing appearance. With a rapid response to changes in brightness, it wilts in direct sunlight and quickly blossoms when placed in partial shade.

So now we are going to play a game called Spot The Tense. After rewriting these two chapters so many times, and switching tense from past and present countless (five) times I apparently messed up all my tenses, thankfully a friend took the time to help me out but I probably still messed things up, so anyone who spots an out of place tense gets a cookie. Not the evil kind that news sites like to use to track you and sell your information to the government. _Puts on tinfoil hat._ But the nice chocolate kind, the chocolate without milk because being lactose intolerant doesn't mean you should miss out on my cookies.


	3. Chapter 3

Another long wait, what I learnt is I can't stick to deadlines. The main factor being I write out of order, I can't seem to write sequentially and that means that sometimes I'll get out one chapter and other times three or four.

* * *

 **Promises Kept**

* * *

 _"Sometimes we must yield control to others and accept our vulnerability so we can be healed."_

* * *

Suki can't believe what she is hearing. She turns to Zuko expecting... something, instead he sits with a grim infuriating expression, still contemplating Ty Lee's suggestion. and Ty Lee has chosen this moment to be quiet, leaving Suki to break the silence.

"You can't be seriously considering this?" The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors demands without considering the implications that this must have on him as an individual, she quickly apologizes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry Suki, you're my friend, I need your opinion." Zuko sounds exasperated and Suki can't blame him. The Earth King is making life hard for the now reforming Fire Nation, and the problems with his sister aren't helping things. Something else seems wrong but she can't quite place it.

"It's not that. She's your sister, I don't know her well enough to have an opinion. What does Mai think?"

"To be fair Azula did lock you up in a prison, that's a pretty way to learn about someone." Suki laughs, but notices he seems to avoid her question, she decides not to press him now.

"Exactly why my ideas for how to deal with her stay with me. Ty Lee this was your idea do you really think we can keep her from hurting anybody?" This was the hardest part, how do you keep a country safe from a crazy prodigy fire bender.

"No, if she wants to hurt somebody I don't think we could stop her. But if we don't do anything the person she will hurt is herself." Ty Lee looks serious and that disturbs Suki, possibly more that the thought of a psychopathic Azula out to murder her. Okay not that much but close.

Zuko shakes his head. "I have to chose between a nation and family."

Suki put her hand on his shoulder, she finds it hard to lead the Kyoshi Warriors sometimes. To rule a nation, the responsibility of that seems impossible.

"I have to consider the Fire Nation first." Ty Lee's face falls as Zuko speaks. "And the nation needs a good leader. And a good leader wouldn't abandon his family."

It takes the acrobat a few seconds to realise what Zuko means, and as soon as she does she lets out a squeal and wraps her arms around him happily before bounding out of the room. Zuko can't help but shake his head.

"If anyone can tire out Azula it will be her." Suki tries for a smile, but settles for a small shrug from the Fire Lord before he collapses into a chair.

"There won't be second chances for her after this, I just hope Ty Lee is what my sister needs."

* * *

The light is the first thing that is different, Azula moans angrily at the sun. The curtains are drawn and standing at the window with an enthusiastic grin, a girl in pink. Azula closes her eyes quickly hoping the girl doesn't notice she is awake.

"Wakey wakey Azula." Damn.

Azula finally gives in and opens her eyes, Ty Lee has moved to sit beside her now.

"Are you okay Azula?"

"Did I conquer a city in my sleep? To be getting so much recent attention?" Azula snaps groggily, princesses do not make for the best morning people Ty Lee notes.

"You're talking again that's great!" Azula tries to remember if she had stopped talking but memories and recent events just seem to blur together indistinguishably.

"Of course I'm talking, someone in this place has to say something intelligent from time to time." The answer is exactly something Ty Lee expects and she just hugs Azula unexpectedly as a response. Azula slowly pushes the Ty Lee off. "So really why are you here?"

"I'm here to take you out for awhile, we... Umm your brother and I thought it wasn't healthy for you to be cooped up in here all the time." Ty Lee mutters out the reply, waiting to see Azula's reaction.

"So the same person who locked me in here, is now letting me out on a leash." Azula growls angrily glaring at the acrobat, but her anger fades against those soft brown eyes.

"Well if either of you think I'm going out like some kind of caged animal tied up..." Azula is cut off as Ty Lee pulls out the keys to the chains binding Azula to the wall.

"I can remove your shackles. But you have to promise me you won't do anything wrong." Ty Lee pleads.

"Define wrong?" Azula looks thoughtful disturbing Ty Lee.

"Burning, attacking, maiming, destroying, aggressive, insidious or manipulative." Ty Lee lists off the possibilities as Azula frowns at the obviously well thought out response.

"I suppose I can try to avoid doing anything that might reflect negatively on you."

"No." Ty Lee puts her hands on Azula's shoulders and looks her in the eye. "You have to promise me."

Azula tries to avoid Ty Lee's gaze but eventually just nods solemnly, she feels to tired to argue. "I promise."

Ty Lee grins again and removes Azula's shackles.

"I hope you don't expect me to be seen in these." Azula motions towards her clothing.

In reply Ty Lee tosses a bundle of clothes onto the bed and turns around. Azula stands uneasily, her legs feel weak from disuse, she struggles to change and looks over to make sure Ty Lee isn't looking, she doesn't want her to see the scars.

The acrobat's back is turned, but she has to stifle a gasp when she looks up and sees the reflection of Azula's bare back in the mirror, her perfect skin covered in small scars most fresh. Struggling to try and change herself, making even simple movement look painful.

Ty Lee has to fight the urge to turn around and help her friend, Azula would never sacrifice her pride for help.

When she is done, Azula taps Ty Lee who turns around and smiles pretending nothing is wrong, she looks her friend up and down in her much more fitting attire and sees the old Azula. Not the crazy one, but incredibly strong one. Ty Lee takes a surprised Azula's hand and moves to the door, knowing she will keep her promise.

* * *

 **Muscle atrophy** is defined as a decrease in the mass of the muscle; it can be a partial or complete wasting away of muscle, and is most commonly experienced when persons suffer temporary disabling circumstances such as being restricted in movement and/or confined to bed as when hospitalized.

No beta reader this time. I actually lost this chapter and had to rewrite it from memory which is never pleasant or easy. I wanted to explore the effects of prolonged incarceration and will continue to explore in the following chapters, I am in no way a medical expert though.

I hope this new chapter was up to snuff, as always favourite, follow or review. Or all of the above. And if you are feeling shy just PM me if you liked it, it will make my day.


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